Manchester United experienced a deja vu of their Forest fixture against Spurs, but in the process, Ruben Amorim found a new emerging leader who will have a crucial role in his ideal team.
Despite a five-game unbeaten streak, it is clear that this Man Utd side is still a work in progress.
Conceding two quickfire goals in consecutive games is a verdict on their readiness, even if the late equalisers are a huge step forward from last season.
After the 2-2 draw against Spurs, Ruben Amorim made some interesting comments about the role of a particular player in his team who is not part of the leadership group, but is crucial to everything that happens at Carrington.
Ruben Amorim expands upon interesting Matthijs de Ligt role
Matthijs de Ligt is enjoying a genuinely world-class season at Old Trafford, and he cemented that status again with a late equaliser against Spurs.
He had dominated the game until that point, except for Mathys Tel turning him for the goal, but that last-minute equaliser made everything better.
After the game, Amorim was asked about De Ligt and the fact that such a natural leader like him wasn’t in the United leadership group this season.
The Man Utd manager praised De Ligt’s qualities, saying he doesn’t need to be in a bespoke group to show his leadership, before expanding upon an interesting role he has preserved for him.
He said: “[Matthijs de Ligt is a player who has] a different involvement in everything that happens at Carrington. I’m trying to put different styles in the leadership group. He’s doing well, he’s defending really aggressively.
“I think he has more quality on the ball than he’s showing because he’s still at a point where he doesn’t want to make a mistake with the ball. When we reach a point, a very good point, our three CBs will control the tempo and the quality of the game.”
Amorim’s ideal vision for Man Utd is exciting
Amorim’s quote above is mostly about giving De Ligt the flowers he deserves, but the last sentence in particular is very interesting.
It was clear from watching his team at Sporting that he asks a lot from his centre-backs, because, to put it simply, they are full-backs in the attacking phase, and midfielders in the defensive phase.
The wide centre-back runs the channels and overlaps, while the middle centre-back steps up into midfield to avoid the opposition’s numerical superiority in midfield.
Both are roles that require intense tactical understanding and intelligence, which is why Amorim also subs a centre-back off most games because it’s a mentally draining role.
He clearly sees De Ligt as an ideal candidate for the central centre-back role because of his combination of physicality and tactical awareness, plus his skills on the ball.
Now that he has become defensively secure and aerially dominant, the next step is to be more adventurous on the ball.
Still just 26, the sky is the limit for De Ligt under Amorim.
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